To all the rom com fans out there - this one is for you! On a graduation gift trip to Italy, Olivia meets Zach, her perfect match. The pair get engaged and their parents are less than excited about it. Olivia's parents, June and William think it's too fast. Zach's mom, Amy thinks it's too fast and Zach is her boy - not to be shared. His dad, Troy, has a whole different agenda...

When the parents meet past relationships and deep hurts are surfaced. Wedding planning starts getting messy and further drama ensues. Are Olivia and Zach meant to be together?

This was a fun, funny, easy listen that would make for an excellent Hallmark movie! Great narration and an all around great book!

When meeting your child's fiancé's family comes to a screeching halt….

June's daughter is engaged and its time to meet the future in laws…cut to June coming face to face with two very important people from her past.

This book was quite entertaining and charming. I loved the way the authors set up the story. They let us meet and get to know the parents of the bride and groom early in the story so when they all met, we had a clear idea of who these characters were.

This book is really about friendship and forgiveness. How do you forgive your best friend when they break your heart? Can you put aside your feelings for your daughter's happiness. It is a tough situation.

Blending families and wedding activiies can already be challenging but this story brings it to a whole new level.

I switched between the audio and the ebook. Really enjoyed both but felt the audio was the way to go!

This is my second book by the writing duo of Fenton and Steinke and I will defintily keep reading their writing!

Interesting storyline, loved the way the stories were told and how it intertwined. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a great job.

I really enjoyed this book, the way it was told, the many perspectives and the subtle way we get into the lives of the characters.
We get to know the characters in their current life before everything is known, and then we see their reactions to things, how they dealt so differently with the secrets of the past and how they deal now with this very peculiar family drama.
We see the emotions arising in the characters throughout the book, the family and the relationships that bring guilt, remorse, feelings from the past, and the reliving of the connections that had and still remain between them.
I love a character-driven story. And all this is happening while planning a wedding!
A fun book full of emotions, a crazy drama, and a wonderful cast of characters.

I was caught of guard. This book was written by four hands, and is really amazing how soft the writing style is, and it fits perfectly the book. As well as the narrator, who expressed emotions that reached me.

Thank you @netgalley @dreamscape_media for a copy of this audiobook. This was a fun story about a whirlwind romance between Zach and Olivia. It all falls apart when all the parents meet and we find out about their parent's connection. The story alternated between present and the past between Amy and June. I liked how this story focuses on the complexity of friendship and family.

This was a sweet story of young love, mistakes, and healing.

When a young couple falls and love and get engaged, while overseas, they set up a brunch for the two sets of (divorced) parents to meet. Lo and behold, they had known each other in college and have quite a history. This novels follows these 6 as they work through all the history, and how it impacts their present.

3.5*
It’s wedding bells for Zack and Olivia after a whirlwind courtship and engagement in Italy. But wait, before the young couple can skip down the aisle they need to bring the prospective in-laws together for a meet and greet.

Do you believe in coincidences? Well, neither do I!

These future in- laws have a history! Can they put their differences aside for the sake of the newlyweds? Or will they all be doomed to go their separate ways once again.

This was a very slow moving contemporary novel. And a bit too syrupy for me. Not what I expected from these two very talented authors. I’ve loved their books in the past and I’m sure I will once again love them in the future.

I had both the digital and audio versions and felt the digital worked just a bit better for me.

A buddy read with Susanne.

Thank you to NetGalley Alcove Press and Dreamscape Media.

There were parts of this book that I adored, Zack and Olivia and even Chloe but there were things that made me want to throw my kindle across the room as well.
Zack and Chloe meet on a twist of fate and they fall madly in love. After 6 weeks they are engaged and when the parents meet, that is when the fireworks really begin. June and Amy were best friends, until they weren't. As soon as they see each other, past hurts are drudged up and emotions run high. They want to be cordial because their children love each other so much, but sometimes emotions come out anyways especially when things were never resolved in the past.
I went into this book thinking it was a tiff between friends and it would be a fun read hoping beyond hope that the two of them would work it out and they would all become friends again. I left this book hoping that June would stay far away from Amy and I still stand by that. We all know we should forgive and let things go from the past but when there has been that much damage I really don't see how anyone comes back from that. I am not going to go into the drama because I don't want to spoil it, but June's ex husband was my favorite of all these parents. I felt for him so much here. I am just glad to know that Zack and Olivia will live a long happy life together even if their parents are not the best people.
The narrator did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life and that is probably why I was so angry. I felt like I was inside this book.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke for an honest review. Thank you to @Dreamscape_Media, @Netgalley, and the authors!

FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE starts with a love story. Olivia is on a solo trip to Italy, a graduation gift form her parents, when she meets Zack. The pair quickly fall in love and before they both return home to their homes in southern California, Zack proposes. They are young and expect that their two sets of divorced parents might not be as thrilled as they are at the news, but they never expected the mess that would errupt.

Years ago, Olivia’s mom June was engaged to Zack’s father Toby when June’s BFF slept with him and got pregnant. The friendship and the engagement were over and they haven’t spoken since… until the meet the parents brunch. Things get messy as the families try to pull together to get Olivia and Zack to the alter.

I have really enjoyed this author duo’s books in the past, so I was thrilled when I heard they had a new release and even more thrilled when I got an ALC copy! I am happy to report that this book lived up to my hopes for it! The book is a great balance of messy family drama with romance and a few good plot twists along the way.

I really loved the family and friendship dynamics in this book. You can really feel how close knit they are (or once were) and see where there is potential for growth and forgiveness. It was nice to see relationships that haven’t worked out (given that we’re with two sets of divorced parents) who still have healthy relationships for their children and for themselves.

This book had a lot of fun moments and it was an easy, quick binge read! I loved picking up on the local SoCal references as well! FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE is out on Tuesday!

Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke has a great premise. I love the drama following the reveal, as it seems real and genuine, and how the parents (eventually) deal with everything from their past. I enjoyed the storyline when the whole family comes together to try and help the kids in the end.

I will say, things took a turn for me with Olivia, Chloe, and Z's emotional invalidation of their mothers and their personal experiences. It seems like their meddling caused their own discomfort with the wedding planning instead of letting the moms deal with their feelings and thoughts first on their own. I get that each mom chose to be petty (which did bring levity to the story), but I think it's well deserved karma for the children, who further proved their immaturity and lack of readiness for marriage with how they acted. It's hard for me to have sympathy for characters that are the put upon victim and take no accountability for their part of something.

My rant aside, I do like Forever Hold Your Peace and rate it 3 stars. I am still a huge fan of Liz and Lisa and will continue to read whatever these two friends write, regardless of the subject.

Nan McNamara is a great narrator.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC.

Forever Hold Your Peace was a delightful summer read (listen) that begins with a whirlwind engagement between two twentysomethings, and quickly spirals as they find out their moms are ex-best friends.

We all have friends who we have grown apart from, but this particular twist of events definitely would've had me returning my half of the BFF necklace (after ripping from my neck and chopping it into pieces).

I loved the multi-generational story Liz and Lisa told --- it was admirable and ultimately sweet how much the characters had to show maturity for their children in finding a way to come together for love.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook.

#ForeverHoldYourPeace #NetGalley

When the future mother-in-laws both turn into Monster-in-laws in an attempt to trash the other, then all the truths about the history of everyone involved starts coming out and you don't know who to trust anymore! It seems everyone has their own agenda and very little of it has to do with making sure that the kids get the wedding that they desire! A fun beach listen that will have you giggling and tearing up a bit! The narration is fantastic and really brings the characters to life as well as the plot. The plot is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. I will definitely be looking for more books from these authors as their writing style is easy to connect with and fall into the story completely!

This is a great book, I loved the familyies that had an unknown history getting to know each other and the children that fell in love at the middle of it. I also loved feeling like I had been in Italy while reading! A fun summer read!

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

What’s worse than finding out your daughter is engaged to a man she barely knows? For June, it is discovering said future son-in-law is the offspring of the two people who broke her heart and changed the course of her life.

The writing duo, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, explore what hurts most, the deceit of a lover, or the betrayal of a best friend, in their latest book, Forever Hold Your Peace. Readers are invited on a wild ride as they bear witness to the messiest of love triangles, involving successful, middle age adults. Watching Amy and June attempt to navigate planning a wedding (while still holding on to almost three decades of resentment), makes for a hilarious read.

I highly recommend listening to Forever Hold Your Peace today. It is the perfect summer read. I found myself tearing up, rolling my eyes, but above all laughing out loud.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, Alcove Press, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for allowing me to both read and listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

After a whirlwind romance, Zach and Olivia have gotten engaged! It's all very exciting (and fast), but it all seems to explode when the mother of the bride, June, and the mother of Groom, Amy, realize they know each other. In fact, they used to be best friends but 25 years ago, their friendship imploded over a huge scandal. Now, it seems that the moms are competing against one another instead of helping with the wedding, and even burying the hatchet doesn't last after we learn about the secret the groom and his dad, Troy, are keeping. Talk about drama! Only a big gesture by the parents will fix this mess.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio e-arc.*

The drama in this one is real,

I listened to this book via audio, and the narrator was amazing! I found my self listing to this book even while i was driving i couldn't stop.! This book has

Very fast listen

This book has family drama, heartbreak , love fun and hope! Very amazing store line and the characters were very well developed.




Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

Ahh, young love! When Olivia and Zach meet and fall in love in Europe, they feel that their future is bright. They are beyond excited to get back stateside and meet each other's families. They have so much in common, and one of those things is that Olivia and Zach both have parents who are divorced. But when they get the parents together for a dinner, they quickly learn that Olivia's mom and Zach's mom and dad have a VERY surprising history that was kept a secret until now.

I really enjoy rom-com novels, and this one did not disappoint. The authors were able to tell Olivia and Zach's love story while weaving in flashbacks of when the adults were young. I love how Olivia and Zach desperately want to make their vacation romance go the distance, but must come to terms that their parents are not perfect people and made some major mistakes in the past. Despite all of the the issues, you cannot help but root for all of the characters in this book, despite their flaws.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading books that center around families and the way they work through difficulties. The authors do an amazing job of brining the humor when needed.

The blurb about the book mentioned a young couple getting engaged quite quickly, and the parents from each side hoping that the other set would say something, until they meet and it's revealed the parents know each other. From there, the moms "battle out for the prize of who's the most enthusiastic about this wedding"

The premise grabbed me, but unfortunately, that isn't at all what happens in this book. Not even close. HOWEVER, it was a cute story that held my attention. It would make a great traveling read or beach read. Doesn't require a ton of focus to get through, but is still interesting enough to make it worth the time spent, especially if you like a book with some multi-generational family drama, secrets, and a bit of "light hearted" betrayal, which isn't how I would describe this betrayal, but it's presented in a way that isn't going to bog down your heart and head.

Additional pro here: LOVED the narrator for the audiobook. Nan McNamara is one of my absolute favorites.

Forever Hold Your Peace
by Liz Fenton; Lisa Steinke
Narrated by Nan McNamara

It's nice to listen to a story where I have no horse in the race, where I can just sit back and watch the shenanigans, laugh at the jokes, shake my head at the snark and shady behind the scenes manipulations. Even the two people (actually three people) who have the most anger and regret from the past don't seem to really have their heart in the fight.

Oliva and Zach meet while overseas, fall in love quickly, and come back to the states to tell their parents that they are getting married, soon. It is at the meet the parents and fiancés brunch that the parents, especially the mothers, find out they know each other very well, and one of the mothers had never planned to see the other again after their "break up" about twenty five years ago. Now the kids of these mothers are getting married! Let the "mother of the bride and mother of the groom" war games begin!

None of these people are over the top weirdos, what happened long ago could really happen, the story isn't too wild and crazy and it doesn't go too nutty with the revenge and one-upmanship. The story is sweet, kind of silly at times, not too stressful for this reader, and a nice change of pace in a relaxing (for me) way. Everyone is a grown up even if some of the grownups can have their snobby, rude moments. I'll certainly be reading this author duo again. The audiobook narration is very good and made listening to the story a breeze.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.